On Feb. 24, 2026, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes and California Attorney General Rob Bonta, co-led a coalition of 14 attorneys general and the governor of Pennsylvania in filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration over unprecedented changes to the childhood immunization schedule.  

The lawsuit challenges a January 5, 2026, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) “Decision Memo” that stripped seven childhood vaccines—those protecting against rotavirus, meningococcal disease, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, influenza, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)—of their universally recommended status. The complaint also challenges the unlawful replacement of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the expert federal panel that has guided U.S. vaccine policy for decades. 

The Decision Memo was not based on any new scientific evidence, any recommendation by a lawfully constituted ACIP, or any systematic review of the available data. According to the 2024 CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, researchers have estimated that among children born in the U.S. between 1994 and 2023, routine childhood vaccinations prevented approximately 508 million cases of illness, 32 million hospitalizations, and over 1.1 million deaths, generating $2.7 trillion in societal savings.  Lower vaccination rates will in turn lead directly to higher rates of infectious disease. This will mean a greater strain on Medicare programs and public health systems within the states, more time and money spent combating outbreaks and misinformation, and wasted resources decoupling state laws, regulations, and public guidance from ACIP’s and CDC’s now-untrustworthy recommendations. 

The coalition is asking the court to declare the new vaccine schedule and the new ACIP appointments unlawful, and to enjoin, vacate, and set aside both the new immunization schedule and the ACIP appointments. 

For decades, the CDC’s childhood immunization schedule has been grounded in rigorous scientific evidence and has saved millions of lives. Secretary Kennedy and the Trump administration have thrown that science out the window. They fired qualified experts, replaced them with unqualified ideologues, and then concocted a dangerous new vaccine schedule that will put Arizona’s children—and children across the country—at risk of contracting diseases that are preventable.Attorney General Kris Mayes

The Trump Administration’s attacks on science are irresponsible and dangerous. Undermining confidence in vaccines will lead to lower vaccination rates and more infectious disease. It will also drive-up costs for states, including increased Medicaid spending and new expenses to combat misinformation and revise public health guidance. Public health decisions must remain grounded in truth and facts. That’s why, for the 59th time, I’m taking the Trump Administration to court. My fellow attorneys general and I cannot sit on the sidelines while lives are put at risk and our laws are broken.Attorney General Rob Bonta